A Mighty Wind: The Album [Soundtrack]

Christopher Guest (Artist), Michael McKean (Artist), Harry Shearer (Artist), Jane Lynch (Artist), Eugene Levy (Artist), Catherine O'Hara (Artist), Parker Posey (Artist), John Michael Higgins (Artist), Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2003)
• Original Release Date: May 9, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00008QS9V
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,321 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Old Joe's Place - The Folksmen

2. Just That Kinda Day - The New Main Street Singers

3. When You're Next To Me - Mitch & Mickey

4. Never Did No Wanderin' - The Folksmen

5. Fare Away - The New Main Street Singers

6. One More Time - Mitch & Mickey

7. Loco Man - The Folksmen

8. The Good Book Song - The New Main Street Singers

9. Skeletons Of Quinto - The Folksmen

10. Never Did No Wanderin' - The New Main Street Singers

11. The Ballad Of Bobby And June - Mitch & Mickey

12. Blood On The Coal - The Folksmen

13. Main Street Rag - The New Main Street Singers

14. Start Me Up - The Folksmen

15. Potato's In The Paddy Wagon - The New Main Street Singers

16. A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow - Mitch & Mickey

17. A Mighty Wind - The Folksmen,Mitch & Mickey,The New Main Street Singers

18. When You're Next To Me - Mitch & Mickey (Video)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an insanely great album!, April 30, 2003

By 

Michael Vanier (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Mighty Wind: The Album (Audio CD)

This album leaves me speechless. I'm a big fan of the work of Guest, Shearer, McKean, Levy et. al., and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie "A Mighty Wind", of which this is the soundtrack. But the movie wasn't by any means the funniest thing to come out of this very talented group of people (I think "Best in Show" and "Waiting for Guffman" were both better, and "This is Spinal Tap", of course, is legendary). Nevertheless, it was clear from the movie that the folk song parodies were dead on, so I got the soundtrack album. I've just been listening to it for the last two hours; every time I finish it I start playing it again. The songs are THAT GOOD. There are three groups here, with three different personalities. The Folksmen (consisting of the three members of Spinal Tap: McKean, Guest, and Shearer), stick closest to the folk formula. Their songs are very enjoyable both from the humor standpoint (what they do to the Stones' "Start Me Up" will have you rolling on the floor) and also musically. The New Main Street Singers are so unctuously sweet that they'll put you into a diabetic coma; "Potato's in the Paddy Wagon" is their best song. But the real surprise is Mitch and Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara). Their four songs are astonishingly beautiful and not played for laughs at all. This is way, way beyond mockumentary good; these two have real talent (songwriting as well as singing), and I wouldn't be at all surprised if this album wins some Grammy awards. I want to hear more songs from them (and from the other groups too). The album ends with the title song, performed by all three groups together, which is also a terrific song (and has a nice joke at the end, if you can catch it). This is spectacular work -- it might just bring folk music back into style. Way to go, guys!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A silly, setimental sendup as well as a top notch folk album, May 11, 2003

By 

"zero_tolerance" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Mighty Wind: The Album (Audio CD)

I've loved the work of Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy's mockumentary style over all three of their movies. A Mighty Wind is the most sweet, sentimental and musical movie of the three. Waiting for Guffman and Best In Show are of course the other two. I was very pleased with the movie, as it is a tad darker and the plot is bit more serious. The music throughout the movie is outstanding and gives us a deeper glimpse into the wellspring of talent this unique ensemble cast is capable of offering.

Now to the album. I saw the film and was immediatly taken by the great songwriting and remarkable performances of the cast. All the principles sing and play their instruments. No overdubs or studio standins. It is expected that Spinal Tap aka The Folksmen are no strangers to music and their renditions of "Never Did No Wanderin" and "Blood on the Coal" are true to the folk roots and hit home with a tongue in cheek authenticity. The New Mainstreet Singers are a saccharine sweet parody of the New Christy Minstrels and the Rooftop Singers. They perform goofy over the top campfire singalongs like "The Good Book Song" and "Potato's in the Paddywagon" with great hooks and harmonies. However, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara steal the show and the album with some truly beautiful and touching duets. As the long estranged former husband and wife team of Mitch and Mickey, they convey catchy and genre perfect interpretions of the coffee house style like "When Your Next To Me" and "The Ballad of Bobby and June" and are taken right from the pages of the best duos of the 60's. The absolute highlight is the wonderful and affectionate "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" It is arguably the films climactic moment as well as a true folk song for the ages. I can't overstate the quality of the performances of Levy and O'Hara. I demand a Mitch and Mickey album. This soundtrack is a gem.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique-- both funny & poignant-- WELL WORTH EXPERIENCING!, April 12, 2003

By 

Richard E. "Nick" Noble (Southborough, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Mighty Wind: The Album (Audio CD)

Having caught a fragment of an ad for the upcoming film A MIGHTY WIND on TV, I dabbled around online until I found out more about it. This included this soundtrack CD, so I have enjoyed the music BEFORE the film has been released nationwide. I am certainly looking forward to it.

This CD is unique. So much so that there is really nothing to compare it with, and my 5-star evaluation reflects my being tremendously impressed, perhaps more than its musical accomplishment (although it is quite good).

A MIGHTY WIND is a "mockumentary", but by definition this is a mock documentary, not necessarily a mocking one. Indeed, the satire is pointed, but fairly gentle, and there is about the whole experience as much the quality of a tribute as there is of comedy.

It is the soundtrack which pulls this off. The creators (Guest, Levy, et al) have gone out of their way to fashion a credible backstory, complete with truly original songs, performed (sung AND played, often live) by the actors who play The Folksmen (based on a bizarre combination of The Kingston Trio, Limeliters, Brothers Four, Highwaymen), The New Main Street Singers (a very loose mix of the New Christy Minstrels, Back Street Majority, Serendipity Singers), and Mitch & Micky (Ian & Sylvia, Sonny & Cher gone folk, with a bit of skewed John Phillips in the Mitch character). Still, none of these comparisons can be taken literally, as they are all leavened with a considerable dose of the creators' perverse sense of humor.

As for the songs, OF COURSE they are parodies. Anyone familiar with the 60s folk genre has but to listen carefully to the lyrics. But they are performed so sincerely, so seriously, that at first you don't notice: you just enjoy the pleasant, somewhat nostalgic harmonies. When you finally figure it out, the straightforward (nothing coy or wink-wink about it) presentation makes it all so much more effective and brilliant.

The soundtrack alone is both poignant and funny-- well worth experiencing.

Again, I can't wait to see this movie.